3 of the best returners the Cleveland Browns have had since 1999

Demetric Felton will return kicks for the Cleveland Browns but he has big shoes to fill.

The Cleveland Browns will be relying on Demetric Felton to change the fortunes of the team with his returns. The hybrid player is listed on the depth chart as the primary return man for Cleveland’s special teams and he’s got some big shoes to fill.

Since the return of the team in 1999, the Browns have had a few very dynamic return men that have helped carry the team to victory. Felton will look to join those men, as the Browns offense is not expected to be the best, at least for a while.

Felton has an opportunity to really earn his stripes so to speak if he can be the guy they need in that role. It’s a role he wasn’t expected to have, as Jakeem Grant Sr. was signed with the intention of being the guy the team could rely on but with his season-ending injury, that pressure now lies on Feltons shoulders.

Three men who made a career returning kicks for the Cleveland Browns

Travis Benjamin

Having a career like Travis Benjamin isn’t a bad thing. He had 3,142 all-purpose yards. He wasn’t the best the team had to offer, but on top of his return yards, he posted 1,817 yards on offense and another 16 touchdowns on offense. If Felton can put together a career that’s similar to Benjamin then he may have a very long career.

Dennis Northcutt

Primarily a punt return guy, Dennis Northcutt gave the Browns some added oomph when it came to field positioning and scoring. In seven years he posted 2,149 punt return yards and scored three touchdowns. As with Benjamin, Northcutt contributed as much on offense as he did on special teams, and like with Benjamin, he got his break returning the ball. Felton may very well get his shot due to his returning skills.

Josh Cribbs

Josh Cribbs posted over 14,000 yards in Cleveland as a returner and offensive player and nearly 12,000 yards of that was solely as a return man. Cribbs was the best return man in the league, going to three Pro Bowls and earning two All-Pro nods along the way. Cribbs had 11 return touchdowns for his career and while that seems like an unlikely stat for someone like Felton to reach, it’s always possible.